Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
A LIFEBOAT SPENT over 12 hours at sea rescuing a lone sailor after his yacht had become devastated in storm-force conditions this weekend.
The Castletownbere RNLI lifeboat was launched yesterday morning when Valentia Coastguard Radio was asked to assist a yacht in difficulty off Mizen Head in west Cork.
The sailor, in his 60s, had been in regular radio contact with Valentia Coastguard radio until yesterday morning, when his VHF radio was washed overboard in a storm.
He activated an emergency beacon, prompting the Castletownbere lifeboat, under the command of coxswain Brian O’Driscoll, to launch at 8am.
The lifeboat, the Annette Hutton, located the casualty at 10.40am 50 miles south-west of Castletownbere.
The Coastguard helicopter was also on scene amid force 8/9 winds and 30-foot swell.
Concerned
The yacht was taken under tow and the lifeboat proceeded slowly to Castletownbere in challenging sea conditions, after being at sea for 12 and a half hours.
Early into the tow lifeboat crew became concerned about the wellbeing of the sailor and crew managed to transfer him to the lifeboat.
The sailor thanked all involved for ‘saving his life’. He said:
Only for the lifeboat, things would have ended up very badly today.
Lifeboat operations manager Tony O’Sullivan said:
The coxswain and crew are to be complimented on today’s rescue – they demonstrated skill, seamanship and endurance during what was a long and challenging day.
The eight-metre yacht, with one person on board, left the Azores in early August and ran into difficulties yesterday 45 miles south of Mizen head.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Brave people in the RNLI to willingly put themselves into danger to rescue someone else.
Can’t speak highly enough of the RNLI or any such organisations like mountain rescue etc. It’s never the nice days they get called out! I always try give them what I can as unlike some charities you can actually see them make a difference! Fair play to the whole crew.
Aghh the brave and the blunt meet in the storm.
Yes, the best to RNLI. It’s a powerful thing to save a man’s life
An absolutely brilliant charity deserve the support of the public, thank you guys for an other successful operation.
Why is this amazing indispensable life saving organisation a charity and not a publicly funded body?
Because that’s the way they want it.
What do we pay taxes for, if not for life saving services no?
Well done, RNLI – heroes
Between the RNLI /MRT and other voluntary organisations throughout Ireland,They play a vital part as primary and secondary back up to the full time emergency services. The people involved give up their free time training on a weekly basis and covering events etc. The people in each organisation know what’s involved regarding the hours put in and that there is no financial reward at the end of it. Yet we pay people to be part time councillors in this country,Could these councillors not take a leaf out of these voluntary organisations.
The RNLI should be paid for the life saving work they do
Considering that the majority of Irish territory is water, it never ceases to amaze me that the RNLI is STILL A VOLUNTARY CHARITY!
Is there nothing Dricco can’t do!! All joking aside, amazing work.
The experienced sailors of the Spanish Armada were decimated here, the 1798 French fleet was obliterated in the same region. Thank fcuk for progress. Well done to the Rescuers.
So many incidents off the West Cork coast all year round, why the hell is there not a coastguard helicopter base there. Constantly see the Waterford coastguard helicopter passing over where I live on route to these incidents off the Cork coast.
have your say